WOMEN are encountering a "glass ceiling" in careers across the criminal justice system, a report reveals today.

WOMEN are encountering a "glass ceiling" in careers across the criminal justice system, a report reveals today.

The Fawcett Society, which campaigns for gender equality, looked at women's experiences in the police, judiciary, legal profession, Crown Prosecution Service, Prison Service and probation service.

Women accounted for one of the 12 Law Lords, five out of 43 chief constables, and 18 out of 42 chief probation officers.

They also accounted for just seven out of 42 chief Crown prosecutors and 31 of the 138 top prison governors.

There was little evidence that women were winning top jobs despite growing numbers of females in the system, it claimed.

The report said that, for example, although 59% of law graduates were female only 7% of High Court judges were women.

Vera Baird QC, an MP and chairwoman of a commission set up by the society, said, "It is unacceptable that the system that delivers justice - to both women and men - remains male dominated. Without more women across the criminal justice system, the legitimacy and credibility of the system will be undermined over the longer term.

"The commission is calling for all criminal justice sectors and professions to look seriously at their practices and procedures to see what measures are necessary to create true equality of opportunity at work.

"To take one example, equal pay reviews should be conducted in all criminal justice agencies to identify whether women are being justly rewarded for the work that they do."